


A Collection of Undertale Shorts

by CaptainNull



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: A mix of Outertale and Reapertale Papyrus, Alternate Universe - Horrortale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Outertale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Reapertale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Death, Errortale Sans (Undertale), Fatal Error Sans (Undertale), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Horrorberry (Undertale), Horrortale Papyrus (Undertale), Horrortale Sans (Undertale), Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inktale Sans (Undertale), One Shot, One Shot Collection, Outertale Sans (Undertale), Panic Attacks, Reapertale Sans (Undertale), Short, Suicidal Thoughts, Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), Underswap Sans (Undertale)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21640849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainNull/pseuds/CaptainNull
Summary: Each story I post to this single collection is more than likely going to be either a short story or a oneshot depending on my mood and how much energy I have. Individual chapters will have warnings based on the contents, so be sure to read the notes on the beginning of each chapter! This'll be irregularly updated, but I might take some suggestions if people ask politely in the comments. Enjoy!
Relationships: Error!Sans and Ink!Sans (Undertale), Horror!Sans/Blueberry!Sans (Undertale), Sans/Sans (Undertale), W. D. Gaster/Grillby
Comments: 5
Kudos: 46





	1. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bara!Horror Sans x Blueberry Sans
> 
> Warnings for panic attacks and implied abuse.
> 
> 'Blueberry is sometimes an inattentive boyfriend.'

Though he was a well-meaning skeleton with a heart - or, if one were to be technical, a SOUL - of gold, Blue was well aware of his oblivious tendencies and knew that he often came across as quite self-centered around others. It wasn't that he was intentionally doing so, as Blue hated being rude to others and always felt guilty when he was, and more that he was an easily excitable individual with a love of talking about his interests and achievements. During his best - or worst, depending on one's point of view - moments, he could prattle on for hours without acknowledging his audience even once, not even if they left him to talk to himself in an empty room.

Yes, he was aware of this behavior, and Blue had finally made it his mission to try and work on his bad tendencies and tone down his excitable talks to allow for better conversation with others. He did so not because anyone in particular had gotten angry with him and forced him to change, as Blue was the sort to stay true to his own self rather than conform to the wants of others, but there was one in particular that he would strive to change for: his loving boyfriend, Horror.

His boyfriend was an unfortunate and unlucky individual whose previous trauma was blatantly obvious thanks to the awful hole that broke through the top of his fragile skull. It was a permanent reminder of some terrible history and Blue, even from their first meeting, knew he needed to be careful when it came to the other. It had been made even more obvious when his friendly chirp of, "Hello!" was greeted by an uncomfortably dead stare and silence.

Once they'd begun to get to know one another better, Blue had noticed times when the other skeleton would just stop functioning and retreat into himself in a quiet, but no less awful panic attack that would take hours for him to recover from. Those moments were some of the worst Blue could recount in his life and it just made his SOUL swell with pity and concern whenever he witnessed the panic attacks. Sometimes they were subtle, however: and that was why he was striving to work on his behavior. He didn't want to make Horror suffer because he was being inattentive.

Blue was quite proud of his efforts, too. The two had only been dating for a few months, but the relationship was blooming into something sweeter and more than the gentle flirting it had previously been. Blue liked to think it was going so well partly because of his hard work: there were a few slips here and there, but for the most part, he'd been extremely careful and watchful of his lover's behavior, always ready to go to his aid if aid was what he needed.

… Yet he still had moments where his excitable nature got the best of him and he slipped right back into his old habits. Blue had spent nearly a year training and preparing for the police academy and he'd fight hard to prove he was ready to join the academy and become a police officer. When the chief of police had first seen the tiny little skeleton with the star-filled eyes and the blue bandana neatly tied at around his neck, the man had laughed: and now Blue had finally received the acceptance letter in the mail.

The moment he'd read the letter - and, truthfully, read it several times in order to ensure his sight hadn't failed him - he'd called his loving boyfriend and managed to keep his excitement in check just long enough to ask Horror out to lunch at a nice restaurant that was relatively close to both of their homes.

Blue was the first to arrive and he'd immediately gotten a table to wait for his boyfriend's arrival. And when he finally did, the little skeleton just couldn't contain himself and excitedly blurted out the news to the other skeleton. Oh, but it wasn't just the news he shared. Blue was the sort of individual who liked to plan and often his excitable rants led into fantasies of what could be. Ignoring everything around him, he started talking about the things he wanted now that he'd been accepted into the academy. If he worked hard enough, he would become a police officer soon enough and he'd make the world a safer place got everyone. He'd make enough money for both himself and for Horror, because Blue knew that the other sometimes struggled with keeping a job thanks to his trauma. Yet Blue could make enough for them both to have a happy life, maybe even support any children they might want in the future.

All the while, Horror had been doing his best to listen intently to his boyfriend blabber on about his plans for the future, but his expression was slowly beginning to go blank. His episodes could strike without warning and oftentimes they were random with no known trigger or a trigger at all. He took a deep breath, fidgeted, and clenched his hands into fists to try and calm himself. Most times, he usually just shut down and withdrew into himself, but Horror was unfortunately beginning to panic. Maybe it was the eyes he could feel on him, staring at the hole in his skull, or the amount of people in the restaurant and walking outside just through the glass of the window they sat beside. Whatever it was, he felt trapped and sent Blue a silent, pleading look.

Under other circumstances, when Blue was more attentive, he'd have noticed immediately that something was amiss, but as it was he was too focused on his own thoughts to notice anything else happening around him. He continued to talk, making exaggerated motions with his hands for emphasis until, finally, he registered the faintest sniffling sounds and he cut himself off mid-sentence to look over at Horror.

The gentle giant had his shoulders hunched in a defensive manor and his arms wrapped around his abdomen, staring without truly seeing at the table. Tears swam in how sockets and trickled down his face, another sniffle escaping him as he clearly fought to gain control once again. Guilt lanced through Blue like a knife and he stood up immediately before remembering to control his movements and move slowly: sudden movements frightened the other especially during these moments.

"Horror," he whispered as he came around the table to his boyfriend's side, very gently and carefully putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it gently. If he'd just paid more attention, perhaps Horror wouldn't be in such a bad state. "Shh… Deep breaths… just remember to breath, okay? Want to go home?" His voice was gentle and soothing and he rubbed his shoulder gently to provide him with comfort.

Horror gave him the slightest of nods and Blue gently helped the larger skeleton get to his feet before flagging down their waitress. Politely, Blue explained the situation and requested boxes so they could being their food with them, and the waitress was quick to do so upon seeing the state Horror was in. Briefly, Blue wondered if she was just concerned or scared of Horror…

While they waited, Blue whispered gentle reassurances to his boyfriend, zipping his jacket up for him and standing on the booth to reach the other skeleton's skull, pulling his hood on. "There," he said, pressing a gentle kiss on Horror's cheek before he got down. "All nice and cozy. And look, the waitress brought the boxes, we can go home now." Horror was quiet throughout it all, almost like a doll or young child as he gripped at Blue's hand to ensure he wasn't going to leave.

With the food paid for and the boxes containing their meals safely tucked into his inventory, Blue guided his boyfriend outside and down the street slowly, squeezing his hand reassuringly. Blue was painfully aware of the many furtive glances that were cast their way by both monsters and humans alike. Even with his head covered, Horror was still an oddity, a giant that towered over everyone around him. He was a rare breed of monster that were unnaturally big, enough so to draw attending. Normally, Blue knew that Horror could shrug off the glances, but in this state? Looking up at him, he saw the big skeleton's shoulders tense and shrink in on himself.

"We're almost there," he whispered, trying to keep Horror's attention focused solely on him. "We're almost there and then you can take all the time you need to rest, okay?" Horror gave him another slight nod and Blue was glad he did, giving his hand another comforting squeeze. As long as he was at least somewhat responsive, then Blue had hopes that he'd recover at least somewhat quickly.

It only took another few minutes before they finally reached Blue's home and he sighed in relief as he fumbled for his keys and unlocked the door. The apartment was small, but tidy and rather homey with pictures hung everywhere of Blue, his friends and family, and of course, Horror. Gently, he led his boyfriend to the couch and got him to sit down, pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek.

"There you go… nice and safe here," he whispered soothingly as he stroked the giant's hand. "Would you like a blanket? Something nice and soft?" There was another nod and Blue stood up, scampering into his equally tidy room and snatching Horror's favorite blanket off the bed. It was a soft thing with a printed picture of a cat on it and he found the other cuddling into it each morning that Horror spent the night.

Gathering up the blanket, he rushed back to the living room and wrapped the blanket around Horror's shoulders. It was a rather big blanket, and though it still left his legs bare, it fit comfortably around his broad shoulders and upper body.

Blue climbed into the couch beside him. "There we go," he said again as he watched Horror clutch at the blanket and hold it close. "Take all the time you need to recover, okay? I'll be here for you." Blue was determined to do whatever it took to make up for his obliviousness from earlier.

~~~

Hours passed and Horror found himself slowly waking up from a nap he hadn't even realized he'd been taking. He was laying on something soft with an equally soft thing around his shoulders and some strange warmth on his chest. The large skeleton groaned softly, his mind fuzzy and clouded as it was often after a panic attack and he frowned. What was going on?

Cracking open his better eye, Horror noticed that the strange weight on his chest was just Blue, his tiny boyfriend curled up and asleep. It was after that when the memories of earlier came trickling back and he groaned as he rubbed his face. Blue had been so excited to tell him about the academy and he'd ruined it with his panic attack.

"Aw… little Blue, I'm sorry," he whispered, letting his giant hand rest gently on the back of his boyfriend's head. It was large enough to nearly engulf the entirety of it. "Ya were so happy, too…" He sighed and laid his head back down on the armrest of the chair, staring up at the ceiling. If only, he thought, he could be more normal for Blue's sake. The little skeleton was so fiercely protective and did so much for his sake… and what did he ever do in return besides being a burden on him?

Horror ran a hand over his skull and fingered the hole there gently, careful with the sensitive edges. If he'd just grown up normally, avoided cracking his skull, then maybe he could provide for Blue instead of relying on him for every little thing. This wasn't a partnership, he was essentially just a large child being taken care of for free.

… He needed to stop thinking like that… Horror sighed and rubbed his thumb gently over Blue's little skull, which caused the smaller skeleton to nuzzle into his hand. If Blue could work on his own problems, maybe he could, too. With his other hand, he reached into his pocket and fingered the little box he'd kept on there for a few days. Maybe it was too early for it… but if he was going to get better… he wanted to do it side-by-side with Blue.

"Rest well, little Blue. I'll find a good time ta propose to ya," he whispered. "That's a promise I'm willin' ta make."


	2. Solivagant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Error!Sans and Ink!Sans
> 
> I, personally, don't view this as an Errink work, but if you'd like to, then go right on ahead. There's some swearing in this one.
> 
> "Error is used to being insulted. As annoying as Ink is, it's still refreshing when the artist describes him in a nicer way."

Seated on the edge of a large hill which overlooked a crystal clear lake, glimmering with the light of the stars that twinkled far above, was a lone figure with his legs drawn up and his arms around them, staring out at the inky blackness of the smooth, mirror-like surface of the lake. The figure, who most would know immediately as Error due to his unmistakable black bones, was having a rare moment of peace and tranquility. Anger smoldered within him perpetually, driving him whenever he attacked an unsuspecting universe, but now that fire had subsided and he felt calm. His expression was that of peace: perhaps not happiness, for he never truly did feel happy, but he was at peace and that was all he was looking for.

As he sat there, resting his chin on his knees and letting his gaze wander where it may, he let out a soft sigh and felt his sockets beginning to droop as exhaustion pulled at him. It wouldn’t have been his first time napping in Outertale: it was the perfect place for a nap, really, so large that the likelihood of anyone finding him was so slim that he didn’t-

“Wow, you look really sleepy, Error. Did I come at a bad time?” The voice was soft, yet it still cut through the tranquility like a knife and left the glitch-ridden skeleton tensing as he opened his sockets again, glaring half-heartedly at the one who’d, of course, shown up. The other was too bright for the darkness of the muted universe, covered in bright splatters of various paints that looked neon in the limited lighting.

With a resigned sigh, Error sighed and let his hand run over the back of his skull, squinting and looking away so the other’s bright colors didn’t give him a headache. He’d had enough of those lately to last a lifetime. “Ink,” he muttered. “You always come at a bad time. It’s an irritating habit.” It was equally annoying just how often the other skeleton had bothered him the past few weeks. Each time he tried to relax, it seemed, Ink was there to talk to him, show him something, or annoy him with his damn rubber duck collection. Why the inkstain had started collecting rubber ducks… Error didn’t even want to know.

Yet as irritated as he was with the arrival of the other skeleton, his voice carried none of the venom that usually oozed from it, and that prompted the rainbow idiot to come and sit beside him. He crossed his legs, knee mere inches from touching Error, and set his paintbrush beside him almost lovingly, wisely keeping it on the other side so it was nowhere near Error.

“You say it’s a bad time every time I come to hang out with you,” he replied with a stretch, arching his back with his arms above his head before he shifted into a more comfortable position and looked at the glitching skeleton. “So how am I supposed to know when it’s not a bad time?”

Error rolled his lights and deliberately shifted a few inches away so there was no chance of Ink accidentally touching him. “It’s always a bad time ‘cause I don’t want to hang out,” he grumbled, eyes just catching the flash of a shooting star through the water’s surface. “I come here to be alone, inkstain.”

For a moment, there was silence between the two and the glitch-ridden skeleton enjoyed watching a few more flashes of light shoot through the sky. It was a blurred sight and he wished he could put on his glasses so he could better see the dance that arched gracefully above him, but with the inkstain around, he refused to embarrass himself. It was bad enough that he even needed glasses in the first place, he hated the idea of Ink finding out.

Speaking of Ink, he heard a rustle of cloth beside him and glanced over at the artist, watching as he examined the length of his scarf with a deep scrutiny, his eyes squinting as he mumbled to himself. “Not this… no… I know I wrote it somewhere, where is it?”

Error sighed again. “Can you at least be quiet while you look at whatever?” he asked irritatedly, digging into his inventory and dragging out a chocolate bar he’d been saving for later. It was a special kind he’d only found in the variants of the Underfell timeline and he delighted in stealing the chocolate from his alternate in that universe, just to throw the wrappers at him from afar and laugh at the other’s rage.

As he ate the chocolate bar, he looked back at the other skeleton and realized that the rainbow idiot hadn’t heard a single word he said, as Ink was still mumbling to himself as he gripped at the very end of his scarf. A triumphant grin then came to his face and he shouted, “I found it!”

“Would you stop yelling!?” Error hissed at him. “What the hell did you even find that you forgot this time, you rainbow asshole?”

Ink, still gripping his scarf, turned to look at the other skeleton with eyelights that were shaped as a star and a firework pattern in bright colors that were made even brighter by the dull lighting around them. “A word!” he said as if it were a revelation that would shake Error to his core. All it did was draw a blank, if irritated look from him as he continued to stare at Ink. “It’s the perfect word to describe you, Error! Solivagant!”

The look on the inkstain’s face suggested that Error should have known immediately what he had said and what it meant, and yet he didn’t and he frowned in irritation. Even the voices were being quiet and weren’t giving him any answers. “... Okay… and what the hell does that mean?” he asked after a moment gruffly. “And how does that have anything to do with this?”

With a huff, Ink looked back at his scarf and looked at his notes for a moment before he said, “It means someone who wanders alone, Error.” His gaze returned to the other skeleton. “And that’s you! I learned the word a few days ago and that’s part of why I showed up, ‘cause I wanted you to know! Now you have a better word to describe yourself.”

“As if I care about that,” Error grumbled with a sigh, but he rolled the word around in his mind. Well, it was better than people calling him a monster, beast, destroyer, or any of the other insults thrown his way. Usually insults just pissed him off more and he would kill the idiot who insulted him, but when he was alone… well, that was when the words weighed on him more heavily. As stupid as Ink was, and the word, too, it was kind of refreshing to have something else to ponder than the usual descriptors.

Ink was watching him, he knew, and the glitching skeleton frowned at him. “You’re staring again,” he stated flatly.

“You say that every time I stare at you,” Ink replied with a smile that would fool most people into believing it was genuine. “What do you think of it, my solivagant friend?” His smile only went wider and more cheeky when the other skeleton scoffed.

Error shook his head and grumbled, “I think it’s stupid like you. … Then again, I’m used to hanging out with stupid, so I guess I don’t mind it.” He was rude as always, but Ink could see right through it. Error was tolerating him, even ignoring the “friend” that the artist had thrown into his words. For the glitch, toleration was a victory and Ink was quite proud of himself.

He opened his mouth to respond and was interrupted immediately by Error snapping, “If you’re going to stick around, just shut up and let me enjoy the stars.”

“... Okay, Error,” Ink said before he fell quiet and took out his sketchbook. The view before them was quite a good one and he didn’t want to forget this moment, so he began sketching himself and the other skeleton on the hill, overlooking the lake quietly and peacefully. It was nice… and maybe Error would eventually call him a friend in return.


	3. Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaster x Grillby
> 
> This is a very short one and it's really not very good. I've been way too tired the past two days and I only actually wrote this because I'm doing a daily writing challenge this year. I'm sure more of my daily writings will be Undertale based, so hopefully I'll have more to offer soon, and better things, too.
> 
> "Gaster has been staying after close for several days now and Grillby is finally about to learn why."

Grillby was perfectly aware of the gaze focused on him, yet he chose to ignore it as best he could as he wiped down the bar, only the crackle of his flames creating any sort of noise in the empty restaurant. He couldn’t be exactly sure of it, but he guessed it had been the third night now that the royal scientist had stayed past close at the bar, saying nothing and just watching as the bartender cleaned the place for the night.

He couldn’t be sure whether to be flattered by the scientist’s interest or concerned. It was rare for him to leave his lab in Hotland and the fact that he kept traveling all the way to Snowdin to visit Grillby’s bar was certainly interesting. The flame monster had caught a lot of talk in the town about what the reason could be, and some of the rumors were enough to make him blush, but he was just as clueless as the rest.

“... Are you finally going to tell me why you keep watching me?” he eventually asked as he took his rag and went to the other side of the bar where the scientist was sitting. Grillby wiped at the clear, lacquered wood, only watching the other through the reflection in the smooth wood.

His question seemed to surprise the scientist and the man chuckled softly. “... I wasn’t expecting you to finally question me,” he said in a smooth, quiet voice after a few moments. His voice sent shivers down Grillby’s spine. It was the type of voice he usually only dreamt of: deep and clear, but with an air of dominance within it. “I’m not quite sure you would even believe me if I told you.”

Grillby wiped at an invisible speck on the wood’s surface and looked up at him. “I wouldn't?” he asked simply, challengingly. He wanted answers at this point. “Best you test that hypothesis, Dr. Gaster.”

“Just Gaster is fine,” replied the scientist, looking even more amused. “Very well… I’ll lay it out straight for you, then. Might I just say that I enjoy watching you work?”

That was an answer that he hadn’t been expecting and it struck the flame monster dumb, staring at the other with a blank expression. Gaster… liked watching him work? Did he want to know in what context?

His answer came without him even saying a word. The scientist rose to his feet silent, leaned across the bar, and kissed Grillby before he could react. It was sweet and simple, and it ended far sooner than Grillby wanted it to.

… He’d be closing the bar tomorrow early for a special couple’s night, that was for sure.


	4. Outcode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fatal Error Sans
> 
> Warnings for slight blood and implied torture.
> 
> "Fatal blames only one person for what he's like..."

He sat alone amongst the flowers, quiet and contemplative, his fingers clasped under his chin as he stared out without truly seeing at the empty space that surrounded him. It was dark, gray, with static patches buzzing in the distance as if it were a TV left on an abandoned station that no longer had signal. The only things that filled the space beyond his own self were the strings red as blood hanging from the ceiling and, of course, the flowers. They were Echo Flowers, unique to the Undertale Multiverse specifically, and yet they existed here, too, in a place beyond the individual universes, as glitched and full of static as everything else was here.

Usually the flowers carried whispers of children asking for their wishes to come true, or laughter of some passing monster, or even the calming sound of trickling water as they often grew in Waterfall and near the many streams that carved their way through the caverns. Here, though, they whispered none of those things. The most he heard was static echoing amongst the trees or, if the sound hadn’t been taken from it yet, the flowers echoed cries for help and whimpers from the victims he brought to this place. He wasn’t sure what was worse… hearing the screams or the static that never truly went away, even when he left elsewhere.

With a soft sigh that barely broke through the static, he looked down at his hands. Being made of bone, they were nicked from past struggles and even cracked in a few places, but that wasn’t what he was looking at. The bone, which was white at his palms, faded to a staticky pattern at his fingertips that never faded no matter how much he tried to make it to. The static truly followed him wherever he went.

Not that the static was the worst thing about his appearance. Most who saw him were instantly frightened by his glitch-ridden, bloody body and he didn’t exactly blame them. His right socket was warped and oozed at the bottom, a cut slashed right through his abdomen, and his slippers that had once been so nice and clean had glitchy blood splatters on them now from the same cut he bore across his chest. He was, truly, an abomination of the worst sort, not that he often liked to think about it. Yet in moments like this, where he was alone and the only sound to keep him company was the buzzing of static, he couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering down dark roads. His right socket, often red, flickered with particles of blue, but then he closed his eyes and stood up.

There was only one person to blame for all of this and he twitched his fingers, shifting the strings that hung in clumps from the ceiling. They were quite useful for grabbing things he couldn’t quite reach and equally useful for holding things that he didn’t want to get away… and even his creator, master of strings and the original glitch of the Multiverse, stood no chance of escaping from him.

Slowly, he turned to face the other abomination, who hung limply from the strings he was held in. It had been quite a fight between the two when he’d gone after his creator, a magnificent and terrifying fight that laid waste to the universe they grappled in. But in the end, he had won and he’d kept the other here for many weeks now as he debated just what to do with him. Now, he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

The other’s heterochromatic eyes, one large with yellow and blue colors and the other small and white, flickered up to match his own gaze, which was now red as the strings that held the other. A twisted grin grew on his face and he stepped forward to claim his revenge.

For a long time afterwards, the Echo Flowers that dotted the space rang with the sound of screams, and they were the only screams he truly enjoyed listening to again and again.


	5. Rest Well, Wayward Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A combination of Outertale and Reapertale Papyrus
> 
> Involves death, but no gore or anything of the like.
> 
> "An old woman passes away and now the lord of death is in charge of taking care of her soul."

As dusk began to settle over the wild and rocky landscape, an elderly woman who lay peacefully on her bed drew in one of the last breaths she would ever take again. Though death was a concept that frightened most, the woman was not afraid and she even smiled at the members of her family that had gathered to say goodbye. “Don’t cry, my loved ones…” she whispered in a voice that creaked with her age. “This is just an adventure… like the ones that I always wanted to take.”

One of the people standing closest to her, the woman’s daughter, gently took her wrinkled hand. “Oh, mama,” she whispered. “I know this is an adventure for you, but it’s still goodbye… I’ll still miss you.”

The elderly woman’s smile softened and she brought her daughter’s hand close and pressed a kiss to the back of her pale flesh. “I know,” she said as her gaze wandered to something that lurked in the corner behind all the people gathered. “I’ll miss you, too, but I’ll always be there… in your heart…” She rested her head back on the bed and let her eyes fall closed. “But now… it is time for the greatest journey…” With that, the woman drew her last breath and her body went still on the bed, leaving the woman with a peaceful expression as though she were only sleeping.

Yet unseen by the people who now wept for the passing of their beloved family member, there rose a softly glowing thing above her body and the one the woman had looked to before stepped forward. It was a skeleton, shrouded in dark blue robes with a somber expression that somehow shined in his dark sockets as he passed through to gather the glowing soul into his arms.

The soul was truly one at peace and did not give the skeleton any trouble as he lifted it and carried it from the small home, greeted by the chill of the quickly-approaching night as he left the confines of the house. The sky was turning a deep shade of blue, a similar color to that of the skeleton’s robes, and the first of the stars were beginning to shine and twinkle above.

“You’ll be joining them soon,” whispered the skeleton as a pair of broad, dark wings unfurled from his back and spread wide, the feathers ruffled by the slightest of breezes. With a few strokes of his massive wings, he was carried with ease into the air, cradling the soul close so it would not be blown away and scattered to the wind. He came quickly to one of the stars, one that usually did not arrive so quickly to the night sky, but he knew why it had now: it was the woman’s late husband and the star was eager to be with her again.

As he did with each and every soul that came to him, he gently pressed his mouth to the central orb of the soul and its soft glow began to brighten more and more until it shone as brightly as any of the stars that were beginning to rise. With gentle movements, he hung the soul in the darkening sky and it took on its brightest glow yet, now becoming a star that would forever shine beside her former lover.

“Rest well… and be at peace,” whispered the skeleton before he turned and soared back down to the earth so he could bring other souls to rest.


	6. Offside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Offside!Papyrus
> 
> Warnings for slight implications of suicidal thoughts.
> 
> "Offside contemplates the situation the Underground is in, but then remembers what gives him hope."
> 
> (Offside is a brand new Papyrus character of mine, to be perfectly honest. I love him. He's essentially a cross between Horrortale and Underswap Papyrus.)

Though the wind whistling through the tall pine trees was sharp and biting, and caused frost to creep slowly along the edge of the sentry station he was stationed at, Offside was rather indifferent to the cold as he leaned against one of the feeble wooden panels that made the ‘walls’ of the cheap station. He was meant to have a day off, and he’d been looking forward to a day of staying on the couch, but the chill was dangerous to most every monster: meaning the job had been given to him thanks to his resistance to the cold.

“Waste of my time,” he muttered to himself, his voice low and rough as it always was, and he slumped further against the wall as he reached into his pocket. He was an avid smoker and reached into his pocket, drawing out the pack of smokes he’d smuggled from the house as he prepared to leave for the job. His brother always yelled at him for making their house smell like smoke, and Offside was genuinely sorry about it, but he needed something to stave off the pangs of hunger that seemed to permanently radiate from his midsection.

He didn’t even technically have a midsection, being a skeletal monster, yet he still felt the hunger pangs just like all the other monsters did: still felt the sheer hopelessness of the situation they were all trapped in with no chance of escape. It kept him awake at night despite how much he preferred sleeping over anything else.

Even just thinking about food that didn’t exist made his nonexistent abdomen clench tightly and just a few moments later, he heard the unmistakable sound of a growling, hungry stomach that had gone too long without any sustenance. It made him sigh and he bit down slightly on the cigarette, crumpling it slightly between his teeth. What a world it was where cigarettes were a $1.99, but the last remaining pie at the local bakery, already weeks old by this point and surprisingly hadn’t been stolen, was worth more than Offside’s monthly paycheck. Most monsters had resorted to stripping the pine trees of their needles to eat.

His gaze drifted to the trees that surrounded the sentry station. These trees still had all of their needles, though he suspected that would change soon enough as monsters drifted further into the forest for food. Even Offside had begun to do it: his and his brother’s dinner had been nothing but cups of pine needle tea the night before, but honestly, what else was he supposed to do?

The more that Offside looked at the entire situation, the more he realized just how utterly hopeless it was. There was no way any of them would get out of this alive and he put a hand to his head, digging his fingers into the hole that blemished the otherwise smooth surface of his skull. It was hopeless… hopeless… he should just-

“Brother! There you are!” cut a voice through his quickly darkening thoughts and Offside straightened, blinking once to clear his mind before turning his hazy gaze outwards to see a familiar shape coming towards him. He took his hand quickly away from his broken skull: Sans always hated it when he touched the wound. “I have something amazing!”

Offside scratched his skull and leaned out over the narrow gap at the front of the station. “You do?” he called with slight intrigue as he watched his brother come closer and become more clear in his vision. The smaller skeleton was holding a container in his hands. “S’at, bro?”

Sans came up to the sentry station with a perfectly pleased grin on his face and plunked the container down beside Offside. “Look, the king found some old stores of food in the castle! Everyone got a portion, I had to come show you!” With deft fingers, he pulled the lid off the container and revealed something Offside had come to believe he’d never see again: a few fruits and vegetables and a loaf of bread. It wasn’t much, and just looking at it he could tell the food was old, but it was something that wasn’t pine needles.

His abdomen roiled with pain again and he clutched at the front of his sweatshirt. “Well, get in ‘ere, we’ll split,” he said to his brother as he tried not to let himself drool at the sight of the food. Sans happily joined him and they sat there on the hard, rough ground inside the station and split the food, talking and Sans even laughed once… Offside didn’t think he would hear that sound again. Now he knew why he hadn’t given up before: so long as his brother was there beside him, Offside could push himself to continue.


End file.
